Laparoscopic gastric banding is surgery to help with weight loss. The surgeon places a band around the upper part of your stomach to create a small pouch to hold food. The band limits the amount of food you can eat by making you feel full after eating small amounts of food. This procedure usually leads to a loss of about 35% to 45% of excess weight. For example, someone who is 100 pounds overweight might expect to lose about 35 to 45 pounds after gastric banding. However, results vary widely.
The gastric band is an adjustable, inflatable tube made of soft silicone. It’s placed around the upper portion of your stomach to form a ring. This inflatable ring is connected to a port that is placed underneath your skin. Your surgeon can tighten the fit of the band by accessing the skin port and injecting with saline fluid, enough to allow a small outlet between the upper portion of your stomach and the lower part. When you eat, this upper stomach pouch will fill up quickly, making you feel fuller faster.
